Abstract The dehydration of benzylic alcohols has been studied in several phosphonium ionic liquids in the absence of any metal catalysts. Benzyl ethers and alkenes were obtained from primary and secondary benzylic alcohols in good to excellent yields for these reactions. Commercially available hydrophobic phosphonium ionic liquids containing the trihexyl (tetradecyl) phosphonium cation paired with six different anions were used for the ...